Help...... Cannot read so many posts these days.

[sail7seas]

I know texting is 'it' these days but please.......

 

This is not a 'text' venue and I cannot read these abbreviations and lack of punctuation posts. I have a particularly hard time when they are long, run on sentences/paragraphs.

 

Can we try to keep it to written English so we can all enjoy reading and understanding what people are saying?

 

Sorry if this is unappreciated, misunderstood or not welcome.

Just my expression of growing frustration.

 

There was a long post here on a recent thread that I simply could not focus on long enough to get the gist. There were so many abbreviations, it was tortuous trying to read it.

Anyone else?

[RuthC]

Anyone else?

Yes. I don't bother to read the posts that are in text. I'll take the risk of missing something important.

[Mary Ellen]

Another yes. I've come to the decision that if a poster can't be bothered to take the time to post so that it can be easily read/understood, I can't take the time to decipher it. No big deal, I just move on.

[CruiserBruce]

Got my vote as well. No capital letters, no punctuation, run on sentences. I also don't respond to these.

 

I have a smartphone, and go to great lengths to use capital letters and punctuation where appropriate.

[dobiemom]

A few abbreviations I can handle, but what makes me cross-eyed are the long one-paragraph posts. :rolleyes:

[DrTee]

Maybe we should have another sticky:eek: listing the commonly used abbreviations (HAL, MDR, etc.).

[fjb3cpa]

Thank you

[Two@Sea]

I'm glad I am not the only one getting frustrated with "text" format here. What's so hard about typing an 'ou' and making 'shld' a real word? (Having just typed them, I can honestly report that I am not the least bit tired from that additonal "two letter exertion"... )

[jhannah]

I wholeheartedly agree. I will resist the temptation to vent my frustration with the denegration of our language. I'll just echo your reasonable requests.

[sail7seas]

Thank you so much. I was afraid I was just 'not cool'.

 

Happy to hear it isn't only me skipping over the text style posts.

 

[sapper1]

i am so wth u on tht 1.

[fann1sh]

Sail, we aren't cool. I'd bet a shiny new penny those who post to say they skip textspeak entries will all be over 50.

 

It's hard to believe that now applies to me....but it beats the alternative.

 

Our choice - our risk of missing stuff. And it will happen. Don't expect this trend to change. SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) haven't been taught, or taught to be of value, in elementary/high school for at least a generation.

 

We are an aging minority who may soon dwindle to a very tiny minority held in contempt. (In fact, the "ignore" buttons are probably clicking at this moment.)

 

Criticism of textspeak will probably soon be included in board guidelines, just as SPAG is now.

 

Expecting anyone who posts text style to change is akin to expecting the return of tailcoats on formal night.

 

Knowing that, I still won't read those posts and threads.

[Bill S]

sapper1: lol :-)))

In all seriousness though, I am with you Sail! I saw a recent post that read like a text message and it was a struggle to get through it--no capitals, very little punctuation, etc.

Here is another "thank you" for your post.

[IRL_Joanie]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!

 

Joanie

[krewzin]

I personally haven't seen what you're talking about :shrug: . Maybe I just haven't been on here reading as much, and have yet to see what's been so difficult to interpret, but other than a few posts w/bad grammar and punctuation (which I've interpreted as being unintentional....more likely due to lack of formal education, and/or english not being a first language), I've yet to come across 'text venue-like' posting.

 

Some people just don't got good english. ;)

[RuthC]

Expecting anyone who posts text style to change is akin to expecting the return of tailcoats on formal night.

How's this: I won't expect them to change, and they won't expect an answer to their posts.

[sapper1]

Sail, we aren't cool. I'd bet a shiny new penny those who post to say they skip textspeak posts will all be over 50.

 

It's hard to believe that now applies to me....but it beats the alternative.

 

Our choice - our risk of missing stuff. And it will happen. Don't expect this trend to change. SPAG (spelling, punctuation and grammar) haven't been taught, or taught to be of value, in elementary/high school for at least a generation.

 

No one who posts in text style will change. We are an aging minority who may soon dwindle to a very tiny minority held in contempt. (In fact, the "ignore" buttons are probably clicking at this moment.)

 

Criticism of textspeak will probably soon be included in board guidelines, just as SPAG is now.

 

Expecting anyone who posts text style to change is akin to expecting the return of tailcoats on formal night.

 

Still won't read those posts and threads, though.

What a thoroughly depressing thought. I know things change but not always for the better.

My mother expresses the thought that she is "getting out" just in time. She may have something there.

[sapper1]

How's this: I won't expect them to change, and they won't expect an answer to their posts.

That smacks of a boycott and what a clever idea.

[SJSULIBRARIAN]

I agree. The English language and face to face communication are fast becoming dinosaurs. Hoping cruise critic posts will remain easy to understand now and in the future.

[sail7seas]

Has every generation seen the dramatic change we have? We baby boomers seem to have experienced such dramatic change but I suppose every generation feels that way.

 

Computers, communication, air travel, greater prosperity for some number of years, access for many more to get more education etc all seemed to have contributed to 'our' generation seeing immense advancement as well as deterioration in some areas.

 

 

 

i am so wth u on tht 1.

 

 

Sapper....... :D LOL....

[fann1sh]

How's this: I won't expect them to change, and they won't expect an answer to their posts.

 

Works for me!

 

Wouldn't be the first boycott I participated in, either.

 

Sapper, I didn't mean to be that downbeat. However, I sometimes beta (AKA edit) fanfic (AKA amateur fiction writing). It's a harrowing experience. At least those who seek editing want to learn how to write.

 

I know of one New York Times best selling author who refuses to let their publisher alter their deathless prose by so much as a comma. Some of the word abuse is amusing. Mostly it's just annoying.

[sapper1]

Works for me!

 

Wouldn't be the first boycott I participated in, either.

 

Sapper, I didn't mean to be that downbeat. However, I sometimes beta (AKA edit) fanfic (AKA amateur fiction writing). It's a harrowing experience. At least those who seek editing want to learn how to write.

 

I know of one New York Times best selling author who refuses to let their publisher alter their deathless prose by so much as a comma. Some of the word abuse is amusing. Mostly it's just annoying.

Please don't think I was being critical. It was just such a "Oh my God, she's right" moment that that was my initial reaction-----how depressing.

[room010]

I too fear for the longterm prospects of correctly spelled and puctuated written English, but I can usually make sense of txt spk even though it makes me cringe. It's a sign of the times and our increasing dependence on that completely indispensible life support device known as a mobile phone.

 

But I do wish posters would use the "Enter" key to create proper paragraphs; or at least break up posts into more manageable chunks. A monolithic block of eye-watering, unbroken text (or txt!) is more or less unreadable so even if there's important or interesting information buried in there I just can't be bothered trying to read it.

[Oceanwench]

I've never sent a text message or received one.

 

I tend to skip over posts with too many abbreviations. It's not that they annoy me -- I am just not current with the lingo, so rather than try to decipher, I move on!

 

But I continue to enjoy the irony of those who sing the praises of good grammar, spelling and punctuation -- and yet their own posts contain numerous errors! ;)

[sapper1]

I've never sent a text message or received one.

 

I tend to skip over posts with too many abbreviations. It's not that they annoy me -- I am just not current with the lingo, so rather than try to decipher, I move on!

 

But I continue to enjoy the irony of those who sing the praises of good grammar, spelling and punctuation -- and yet their own posts contain numerous errors! ;)

I sometimes have occasion to use text messages but I take the time to use full words. I just can't bring myself to mangle the English language.